Passenger vehicles often include a center pillar, also sometimes referred to as a “B pillar,” between front and rear door openings. The center pillar typically extends from a floor pan and rocker panel upward to a vehicle roof. The center pillar typically supports a striker that engages a latch on a front door to releasably maintain the front door in a closed position. The center pillar also typically supports hinges that are pivotably connected to a rear door. Thus, the center pillar provides support for front and rear side doors as well as for the vehicle roof. Furthermore, the center pillar may be subjected to impact loads exerted on the doors in a vehicle side-impact scenario.
The cross-sectional geometry of a typical center pillar is smaller above the beltline of the doors than below, in part to minimize obstruction of the view through the door windows. Further, the rear door causes strengthening of the center pillar structure between the upper and lower hinges; that is, the rear door structure reinforces the center pillar between its attachment points to the center pillar.